Published: Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 6:39 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 6:39 p.m.

IIn June of 2000, Champion Hills residents Joan and Buck Blessing read a newspaper article about some local doctors who were working to open a free health clinic in Henderson County.

The article about Drs. Russ Sacco and Irwin Perlmutter inspired them to make a donation to what was then called the Volunteer Medical Resource Center, which later evolved into The Free Clinics.

Coming from humble backgrounds – Buck was once a tool-and-die maker and Joan’s grandparents were immigrants who worked as domestic servants – the couple understood the need for a local safety net for working people.

“Many people are just one catastrophic illness away from financial ruin,” Joan said. “The idea was they were going to be helping working people who were falling through the cracks, who were not eligible for government benefits but who couldn’t afford private insurance.”

Around that time, Joan attended a concert with her sister in Sugar Grove, N.C., starring The Kruger Brothers, banjo and guitar playing siblings from Switzerland who were taking the American bluegrass scene by storm.

“And a lightbulb went off,” Joan said. “I thought if we could get The Kruger Brothers together here for a concert, we could have a great time and raise some money for the clinics.”

“And we could use it as a springboard to educate people about the clinics and the need for their services,” Buck added.

With help from Dr. Colin Thomas, then-board president of The Free Clinics, and the Blessings’ generous neighbors in Champion Hills, that first benefit concert in 2004 raised $32,838 for the fledgling nonprofit.

The event became an annual benefit at Champion Hills, featuring such well-known pickers as The Steep Canyon Rangers, Balsam Range and The Boxcars. Now in its tenth year, the Blessings’ concerts have raised more than $385,000 for The Free Clinics.

The Blessings have not only organized each of the concerts, they’ve underwritten thousands of dollars in buffet dinners, invitations and other costs of the benefit, said the Rev. Judith Long, executive director of The Free Clinics.

Moreover, Long said, the Blessings have raised community awareness for the clinics’ vital services among their neighbors and friends. She held up a concert program listing 30 sponsors for the event.

“There are donors on this list that are wholly committed to what we do that didn’t know about us 10 years ago, and we have Joan and Buck to thank for that,” she said. “We would not be what we are without them.”

Sunday’s concert, however, might be the last for the Blessings, at least as organizers. Buck has health issues that now prevent him from driving, so instead of splitting their time between Florida and Champion Hills, the couple is moving back full-time to Naples, Fla.

“We could return once a year, but not in a leadership function,” Buck said.

The couple may be moving nearly 800 miles away, but their commitment to The Free Clinics knows no boundaries. As the Kruger Brothers did their sound check Sunday for the annual fundraiser, the Blessings mingled with donors, promoting their favorite charity.

“This is really special because The Kruger Brothers helped us launch this and to have them come back for our tenth anniversary is great,” Joan said. “After our first concert in 2004, I remember thinking, ‘This is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in my life.’”

<p>IIn June of 2000, Champion Hills residents Joan and Buck Blessing read a newspaper article about some local doctors who were working to open a free health clinic in Henderson County.</p><p>The article about Drs. Russ Sacco and Irwin Perlmutter inspired them to make a donation to what was then called the Volunteer Medical Resource Center, which later evolved into The Free Clinics.</p><p>Coming from humble backgrounds – Buck was once a tool-and-die maker and Joan's grandparents were immigrants who worked as domestic servants – the couple understood the need for a local safety net for working people.</p><p>“Many people are just one catastrophic illness away from financial ruin,” Joan said. “The idea was they were going to be helping working people who were falling through the cracks, who were not eligible for government benefits but who couldn't afford private insurance.”</p><p>Around that time, Joan attended a concert with her sister in Sugar Grove, N.C., starring The Kruger Brothers, banjo and guitar playing siblings from Switzerland who were taking the American bluegrass scene by storm.</p><p>“And a lightbulb went off,” Joan said. “I thought if we could get The Kruger Brothers together here for a concert, we could have a great time and raise some money for the clinics.”</p><p>“And we could use it as a springboard to educate people about the clinics and the need for their services,” Buck added.</p><p>With help from Dr. Colin Thomas, then-board president of The Free Clinics, and the Blessings' generous neighbors in Champion Hills, that first benefit concert in 2004 raised $32,838 for the fledgling nonprofit. </p><p>The event became an annual benefit at Champion Hills, featuring such well-known pickers as The Steep Canyon Rangers, Balsam Range and The Boxcars. Now in its tenth year, the Blessings' concerts have raised more than $385,000 for The Free Clinics. </p><p>The Blessings have not only organized each of the concerts, they've underwritten thousands of dollars in buffet dinners, invitations and other costs of the benefit, said the Rev. Judith Long, executive director of The Free Clinics. </p><p>The donations have supported the Clinics' work providing medical, dental, mental health, disease management, prescription assistance and case management services for nearly 9,000 patient visits last year. </p><p>Moreover, Long said, the Blessings have raised community awareness for the clinics' vital services among their neighbors and friends. She held up a concert program listing 30 sponsors for the event.</p><p>“There are donors on this list that are wholly committed to what we do that didn't know about us 10 years ago, and we have Joan and Buck to thank for that,” she said. “We would not be what we are without them.”</p><p>Sunday's concert, however, might be the last for the Blessings, at least as organizers. Buck has health issues that now prevent him from driving, so instead of splitting their time between Florida and Champion Hills, the couple is moving back full-time to Naples, Fla. </p><p>“We could return once a year, but not in a leadership function,” Buck said. </p><p>The couple may be moving nearly 800 miles away, but their commitment to The Free Clinics knows no boundaries. As the Kruger Brothers did their sound check Sunday for the annual fundraiser, the Blessings mingled with donors, promoting their favorite charity.</p><p>“This is really special because The Kruger Brothers helped us launch this and to have them come back for our tenth anniversary is great,” Joan said. “After our first concert in 2004, I remember thinking, 'This is the most rewarding thing I've ever done in my life.'”</p><p>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>